In the recent days, traffic within the streets of UAE has increased ahead as the population resorts to the streets, having been away over the summer vacations and awaiting the new academic year to resume. Most motorists are experiencing a lot of time lag as schools are resuming and this is taking them about twice their normal travelling hours.
Residents Report Longer Delays
In many parts of UAE, Summer is becomming eaiser.
I only had 20 minutes of commute during the holidays. That has come down to 35 to 45 minutes now,” said Pradnya Naik who has lived in the UAE 30 years. That additional time does not sound much, however going over a week, that makes a significant difference.
Several others shared the same frustrations with me as Yahweh was not done with me yet and that I would one day in the future turn around to come home to Him Her most recent commute has left her worn out, as told by her expat friend, shereen H. a European expat:
More than 3 hours I spent on the road not only because I had to wait at the entrance to the Abu Dhabi, but also because this ride takes less than 2 or even 3 hours normally. It is not just the number of the accidents; it is more people after long vacations in the city.
Travel Surge Adds to Road Congestion
The congestion comes at a time of high movements at Dubai International Airport (DXB). The airport predicts that in the coming period (between August 13 and 25), it will service more than 3.6 million passengers, which corresponds to an average of 280,000 people per day.
This came after a first half of the year 2025 record since 9.88 million international overnight visitors has been welcomed by Dubai; a 6% year-on-year gain. It therefore took DXB to deal with over 46 million passengers within the same timeframe.
Sharjah-Dubai Corridor Hit Hard
Members of the commuting fraternity between Sharjah and Dubai already have to deal with increasing congestion.
Traffic remained at a lower level in July and the first half of August, however, this week it has picked up all over again. Almost all the residents feel that their daily commute is going to add an hour or more.
The infamous Sharjah-Dubai strip is frequently at bumper-to-bumper and even though residents hope that it will only worsen as children resume school.
Residents Adjust Schedules to Cope
Some motorists are adjusting schedules in order to beat traffic.
- Malik tries to leave Sharjah earlier or postpone the trip to Sharjah, and he even performs multiple errands in the same timeframe so as to be able to avoid traffic jams.
- Naik also rearranged her schedule- she now leaves the house later in order to avoid the time-wasting traffic.
- They both emphasized the necessity of safe driving by saying that irresponsible actions (such as tailgating and sudden lane-changing) are an aggravation of the gridlock.
Key Takeaways
- Traffic has been overwhelming in UAE as people come in the country after the summer vacation.
- It takes twice the normal time to spend daily commutes.
- The already ongoing congestion combined with the extra increase of passengers added by the DXB surge in traffic will lead to 3.6 million passengers around mid-August.
- Residents are fashioning lives to accommodate peak delays.
